Bulk package for cut size paper



Feb. 6, 1968 R. J. DWYER, JR 3,367,487

BULK PACKAGE FOR CUT SIZE PAPER Filed May 5, 1967 United States Patent3,367,487 BULK PACKAGE FOR CUT SIZE PAPER Richard J. Dwyer, Jr.,Bellbrook, Ohio, assignor to I Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis.,a corporation of Delaware Filed May 3, 1967, Ser. No. 635,738 4 Claims.(Cl. 20657) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bulk package for amultiple-ream stack of cut size paper designed for use with copy makingmachines. The package is a paperboard carton of a size sufficient tohold several reams. The carton is encircled by a tear strip which whenremoved to open the carton, detaches a portion of the top and two sidepanels of the carton at one end to expose the top and sides of the paperstack at that end. A substantial portion of the bottom panel of thecarton is retained to provide support for the stack. The opened cartoncontaining the stack acts as a service tray which can be placed on thedelivery platform of a copy making machine ready for use.

Background of the invention This invention relates to an improved bulkpackage for cut size paper designed for use with copy making machines.

The present practice is to wrap individual 500 sheet reams of cut sizepaper in a protective paper overwrap. Several of these individuallywrapped reams are then packed into an outer corrugated shippingcontainer for shipment to customers. When made ready for use, theindividual packages must be unwrapped and the contents of severalpackages stacked on the delivery platform of the copy making machine.

Modern copying machines turn out copies at an everincreasing rate, thusrequire constant replenishment of the cut size paper used to supply themachine. Replacement of the cut size paper from individually wrapped 500sheet reams is time-consuming and inefficient. An improved handlingmeans obviously would be a step forward in the art.

The bulk package of this invention eliminates the individually wrappedream and permits more eflicient handling of the paper.

The package is in the form of a paperboard carton containing severalreams of paper. The carton is designed, so that, after it is opened, amajor portion of the carton remains with the cut size paper stack whenit is placed on the machine. The opened carton acts as a service trayfor handling the stack while maintaining the stack of sheets in alignedarrangement.

Summary of the invention The improved bulk package of this inventioncomprises a heavy paperboard carton of a size sufiicient to hold severalreams of cut size paper. While the number of reams is optional, a cartonlarge enough to hold a stack of six reams, or 3,000 sheets, is apreferred size.

'The carton is provided with a circumferential tear strip which passesthrough the top panel, the two side panels, and the bottom panel of thecarton. When the tear strip is torn off, the end panel at the front ofthe carton and portions of the top and side panels are removed to exposethe corresponding top and sides of the sheet stack. The tear stripextends through the bottom panel in a manner to retain a major portionof the bottom panel underlying substantially the full length of thesheet stack. The unremoved portion of the carton comprising the side,top, and the rear end panel maintains the sheets in alignment, While thebottom panel provides support along substantially the entire length ofthe bottom of the stack. The opened carton containing the entire stackis placed on the delivery platform of a copy making machine with theopen end facing the machine. The front and side edges of the sheets inthe front portion of the stack are free of obstructions and areaccessible to the sheet handling mechanism of the machine withoutfurther handling or adjustment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bulk packagefor out size paper which may be easily opened and which, when opened,serves as a convenient service tray for handling the paper.

Another object is to provide a more economical package for cut sizepaper designed for use with copy making machines.

Still another object is to provide a bulk package for cut size paperwhich serves as a shipping carton and which converts to a service trayfor the paper after being opened.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from the following specification and attached drawing.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of oneembodiment of a bulk pack-age carton having a removable tear striparranged in accordance with the invention. 3

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, in which the tearstrip and the front end of the carton have been removed.

The package of FIG. 1 comprises a rectangular carton 30 of heavypaperboard containing several reams of cut size paper. The carton 30comprises a top panel 31, a bottom panel 32, side panels 33 and 34, rearend panel 35, and front end panel 36. The usual overlapping flaps 35which seal the carton are preferably part of the end panels to provideadditional reinforcement.

A tear strip 37 and 37a encircles the carton, passing through the top,bottom and side panels. Portion 37 of the tear strip is preferablyspaced several inches back from front panel 36, extending up side panel34, over top panel 31, and down side panel 33 where it joins tear stripextension 37a. Tear strip extension 37a, as a continuation of strip 37,extends diagonally from the bottom of side panel 33 to a point short ofthe centerline of front'panel 36, past the centerline of front panel 36,and then diagonally back to tear strip 37 at the bottom of side panel34. A graduated scale, as shown at 38, may be printed on one or bothside panels adjacent the tear strip on those portions of the cartonwhich remain after the tear strip is removed, to indicate approximatelyhow many sheets remain in the carton during use.

In FIG. 2, the tear strip and end portions of the carton have beenremoved exposing the front end of the stack cut size sheets 40. Sideedges 41 and 42 of the sheets in the stack, and the surface of top sheet43 are exposed, so that all edges are unobstructed and become accessibleto the sheet handling mechanism of the copy making machine after theopened carton containing the sheet stack is placed on the deliveryplatform of the machine.

3 The tongue-like central section 44 of the bottom panel, which remainsafter the carton is opened, provides sup port for the front portion ofsheet stack 40.

Description of the preferred embodiment As shown in the drawings, theimproved bulk package of this invention comprises a heavy paperboardcarton 30 of a size sufficient to hold multiple reams of cut size paper40. In the preferred embodiment the carton contains six reams, or 3,000sheets. The number of sheets and size of carton being optional dependingon the preference of a customer or user.

For a package of 3,000 sheets of 20# basis weight, 8 /2" x 11" paper,the appropriate outer dimensions of the carton are about 8% wide, 11%long and 11% high, i.e., of a size sufiicient to hold the stack ofsheets snugly enough to prevent undesirable shifting. For ditferentsizes and numbers of sheets the dimensions will vary accordingly.

The carton stock should be strong enough to permit L spaced severalinches back from the front end of the carton. In the preferredembodiment as shown, this distance is about four inches. It is alsopreferred that the tear strip in the top and side panels, be disposed inparallel alignment with the ends of the carton, although various otherarrangements may be used. For example, when it is desirable to expose alarger portion of the top sheet as required by certain machines, thetear strip in the top panel may extend rearwardly so that most, or all,of the top panel can also be removed.

In the embodiment shown, the tear strip starts at the bottom of one sidepanel 34, extends upwardly on said side panel for the full 11 /4" heightof the panel, passes crosswise over the top panel for its 8%" width,then down the other side panel for its full 11% height.

In the bottom panel 32, the tear strip 37a then runs diagonally from itsterminal point at the bottom of one side panel to the front edge of thebottom panel at a point short of its center, continues along a centralportion of the bottom panel substantially coextensive with the frontedge of the front end panel and then runs diagonally back to meet theterminal point of the tear strip at the bottom of the first side panel.The width of the central portion of the bottom panel, as defined by thetear strip, at the point where it meets the front end of the stack isnot critical. However, it should be of a width to provide support to thestack when the carton is opened. Preferably, it should not extendcompletely to the side edges since it is desirable for these edges to befree of obstructions.

The user opens the package by tearing the strip up one side, over thetop, then down the other side, and across the bottom. The detachablefront portion of the carton thus formed is then completely separatedfrom the remainder of the package. The opened package then looks likethe FIG. 2 illustration.

After the carton is opened and the front sections removed, the remainingportions of the side, top and back panels maintain the sheets in thestack in alignment, while the bottom panel provides support alongsubstantially the entire length of the bottom of the stack, leaving freethe side portions of the sheets located at the bottom near the front ofthe stack. The front and side edges of the sheets, from top to bottom ofthe stack, are therefore completely free of obstructions and accessibleto the sheet handling mechanism of the copy making machine when theopened carton is placed onto the delivery platform of the machine. Thecentral portion of the bottom panel which extends substantially to thefront edge of the stack supports the exposed end of the stack to make iteasy for the user to handle the opened package when placing it onto theplatform.

It is important'that, in the opened package, the bottom panel of thecarton extend for substantially the complete length of the stack,especially along a major portion of its longitudinal centerline. Thisenables the stack to be easily transported and placed onto the deliveryplatform, using substantially the full length of the bottom panel forsupport. In addition to providing support for handling the openedpackage, the full length of the remaining portion of the bottom panel isadvantageous in that it maintains the stack of sheetsat the same level,front and back, until the entire stack is exhausted.

From the drawing, it will be seen that one of the remaining side panelsof the opened carton may be marked with a scale, or other indicia, alongan edge of the tear strip line to enable the operator to determine theapproximate number of sheets remaining in the stack when in use. Bothremaining panels may be so marked, if desired.

In constructing the package, the usual overlapping flaps used to sealthe carton are preferably located at the front and back ends to provideadditional strength during shipment and handling.

The above-described carton is suitable for use with most copy makingmachines. Various changes may be made in the location of the tear stripto accommodate it to certain peculiarities of the machine with which itis to be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example the tear strip may extend up the sides as shown, but thenmay angle back to the rear of the top panel to provide a larger area ofaccess to the top sheets for handling by the delivery mechanism of amachine. Along the bottom panel, however, the tear strip should bearranged so that at least the central portion of the panel extendssubstantially to the front of the stack after Opening.

It will be further apparent to those skilled in the art, that othersuitable changes, modifications and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bulk package for multiple reams of cut size paper which comprises arectangular paperboard carton and a multiple ream stack of cut sizepaper disposed therein; said carton having top and bottom panels, afirst side panel, a second side panel, and front and rear end panels;said carton having a manually removable tear strip disposed near thefront end thereof and arranged to encircle said cartoncircumferentially, starting at the bottom of said first side panel,extending to the top of said first side panel, across said top panel,down said second side panel, and across said bottom panel back to thestarting point; said tear strip in said side and top panels being spacedat least several inches from said front end while in said bottom panelsaid tear strip extends to said front end and is coextensive therewithin at least a central portion thereof.

2. The package of claim 1 in which at least one side panel has indiciaadjacent the edge of said tear strip opposite from said front end.

3. The package of claim 1 in which the tear strip in said side and toppanels is disposed substantially in parallel alignment to the cartonends.

4. The package of claim 3 in which the tear strip in the bottom panelextends forward and diagonally inward from the bottom of the second sidepanel to a point short of the front centerline of said bottom panel, issubstantially coextensive with a center portion of the front edge ofsaid bottom panel and then extends diagonally backbottom of the firstside panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1931 Bendheim 229-7 Weiner22951 Armstrong 229-51 Andrews 229--5l Praetorius 20656 WILLIAM T.DIXSON, JR.) Primary Examiner.

